Transition...

Meghan, Hannah, & I are preparing to welcome the new addition into our family. It is a girl! Meghan and I agreed upon a first/middle name when she was about seven months pregnant...when we shared the news with Hannah...she said 'NO...the baby is Julia.' While we don't think that Julia is a bad name, we were pretty firm with our decision. It took us a month to persuade Hannah that the name we had chosen was a good one. It's been only within the last couple of days that she has endorsed our decision. Through this, we've learned that it is important to consult all family members when making important decisions. It is important for us as parents to ask for our children's input; to hear them out, and validate their perspective...even if we're going to make a decision that is counter to their desires. We've encouraged Hannah to name her doll Julia...she has agreed. So ultimately there is a Julia in the family but the name of our second daughter is still to be announced. We will release the name on the day of the birth!

The due date is: June 26th but Meghan has a 'gut' feeling that the baby will arrive earlier. She's been pretty tired lately and her lower back has been throbbing; all normal things for late stage of the pregnancy. Our goal is to have a natural childbirth like we did with Hannah. We've been reading up on the Bradley Method, doing both physical and mental relaxation exercises together to prepare for the labor and delivery. I'm so proud of Meghan! She's doing so well.

She is in high gear of the nesting stage...organizing clothes, closets, and rooms...cleaning, cleaning, cleaning! I have been assisting her in organizing our apartment. Hannah and her little sister will share a room. I put Hannah's 'big girl' toddler bed together last weekend and raised the mattress for the crib.

I'm savoring each night of sleep and preparing my heart, mind, and body for the sleepless night that await.

The last couple of months I've been the one reading Hannah stories, saying prayers, and tucking her into bed. Before that, Meghan was putting her to bed due to Hannah's preference. The transition from Mom to Dad putting Hannah to bed was rough at first. I would say, "Dad is going to put you to bed." Hannah would respond with loud wales...'Noooooo, I waaaant mommmmy toooo put me to bedddd.' This happened for several nights. Then one night, as we were eating dinner together, I had an ingenious idea. I started explaining the night to Hannah: 'Dad is going to give you a bath, then I am going to help you brush your teeth, then I am going to read you stories, then you are going to give mom a hug, mom is going to go away, and then dad is going to put you to bed. For some reason, Hannah was satisfied with the explanation especially the 'mom is going to go away' part. What we did not tell Hannah was that mom was just going to go away to the living room to take a break after a long day. Hannah then began to ritually recite the night time routine over dinner: 'Dad is going to...'

At work, things have slowed down a bit. Students are gone for the summer and our office is gearing up for the next academic year. CILSA will be celebrating its 10th anniversary. I have the privilege of planning a Student Leadership & Social Justice Conference for the Fall that I'm really excited about. I finished my first year in the Graduate Counseling Program at SMC; I am really enjoying the program; I will take one course during this summer.

Until next time... ~R